Protective case for portable electronic device

ABSTRACT

A case for an electronic device includes a rigid layer and a resilient layer. The rigid layer includes a plurality of turned edges. The resilient layer is disposed primarily on a first side of the rigid layer, wherein the resilient layer includes a plurality of enveloping edges that substantially envelop the turned edges.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/043,227, filed Feb. 12, 2016, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/632,927, filed Feb. 26, 2015, nowissued U.S. Pat. No. 9,300,768, the entire disclosures of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

INTRODUCTION

Smartphones, tablets, personal digital assistants and other electronicdevices are somewhat fragile. The housings and electronics locatedtherein can be damaged by dropping, while screens can be scratched whenplaced face-down on a surface. A variety of protective cases thatsubstantially surround the device are available. These cases, however,are often bulky, unsightly, and can limit access to the device screen orcontrol buttons.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the technology relates to a case for an electronicdevice, the case having: a rigid layer including a plurality of turnededges; and a resilient layer disposed primarily on a first side of therigid layer, wherein the resilient layer includes a plurality ofenveloping edges that substantially envelop the turned edges. In anembodiment, the rigid layer defines a central opening and furtherincludes a plurality of rigid bridges at least partially spanning thecentral opening, wherein each of the plurality of rigid bridges includea rigid bridge width; and the resilient layer defines a central windowand further includes a plurality of resilient bridges at least partiallyspanning the central window and substantially aligned with each of theplurality of rigid bridges, wherein each of the plurality of resilientbridges include a resilient bridge width less than the rigid bridgewidth. In another embodiment, each of the plurality of rigid bridges andeach of the plurality of resilient bridges define a shape including atleast one of a straight bar, a curved bar, a curvilinear bar, asubstantially circular bar, a wave bar, and an ellipsoidal bar. In yetanother embodiment, at least one of the plurality of rigid bridgesextends between opposing edges of the central opening. In still anotherembodiment, at least one of the plurality of rigid bridges extendsbetween adjacent edges of the central opening.

In another embodiment of the above aspect, at least one of the pluralityof rigid bridges extends between a single edge of the central opening.In an embodiment, a first rigid bridge of the plurality of rigid bridgesextends from a first edge of the central opening to a second rigidbridge of the plurality of rigid bridges. In another embodiment, theresilient layer includes: two short outer edges, each having a firstheight; and two long outer edges having lengths greater than the twoshort outer edges, wherein each of the two long outer edges has a secondheight less than the first height. In yet another embodiment, theresilient layer defines a taper from the first height to the secondheight. In still another embodiment, the resilient layer defines a stepfrom the first height to the second height.

In another embodiment of the above aspect, includes a rigid tabextending therefrom, and wherein the resilient layer defines an aperturesubstantially aligned with at least a portion of the tab. In anembodiment, the portion of the tab includes an enlarged portion. Inanother embodiment, the enlarged portion includes an enlarged portionaxis and wherein the aperture defines an aperture plane, and wherein theenlarged portion axis is misaligned from the aperture plane. In yetanother embodiment, the rigid layer is at least one of ABS, PVC,polyethylene, silicone, and thermoplastic elastomer. In still anotherembodiment, the resilient layer includes at least one of silicone,rubber, and thermoplastic elastomer. In another embodiment, the rigidlayer is rigid relative to the resilient layer.

In another aspect, the technology relates to A protective case for aniPhone 6 smartphone, wherein the protective case defines a plurality ofgaps on a surface of the protective case, wherein at least one of a logoand a word is visible through at least one of the plurality of gaps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

There are shown in the drawings, embodiments which are presentlypreferred, it being understood, however, that the technology is notlimited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a protective case for an electronicdevice in accordance with one embodiment of the technology.

FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the protective case of FIG.1A.

FIGS. 1C-1H are various views of the protective case of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial side view of the protective case of FIG.1A.

FIGS. 3A-3H are various views of a protective case for an electronicdevice in accordance with another embodiment of the technology.

FIGS. 4A-4H are various views of a protective case for an electronicdevice in accordance with another embodiment of the technology.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of an iPhone 6 smartphone disposed in a protectivecase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A-1H are various view of a protective case 100 for an electronicdevice in accordance with one embodiment of the technology. FIGS. 1A-1Hare described simultaneously and not all components or parts describedherein are necessarily identified in every figure. The protective case100 includes two layers, an inner rigid layer 102 or structure and anouter resilient layer 104 or shell. The case 100 is configured tosubstantially surround a smartphone, tablet, personal digital assistant,or other electronic device. An edge of the smartphone, and a lower,central button 106 thereof are depicted in dashed lines in FIG. 1A. Forclarity, however, the protective cases described herein will bedescribed in the context of a smartphone such as an iPhone 6. Thus, theterm “inner” refers to the layer that is generally closest to thesmartphone. The term “outer” generally refers to the layer that isdisposed on the opposite side of the inner layer from the smartphone.The inner layer 102 and outer layer 104 may form a completed unitarypart and may be bonded with adhesive so as to prevent separation betweenthe two layers. In an alternative embodiment, one of the layers (i.e.,the inner layer 102) may first be formed through known injection moldingprocesses, then placed in a mold for the outer layer 104, which is thenformed along with the inner layer 102 into a single unitary part, wherethe two layers are bonded due to an interaction between the materials ofthe two layers.

The inner layer 102 is formed of a generally rigid plastic such as ABS,PVC, polyethylene, silicone, thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or otherlike plastics. Other materials, including metals such as titanium oraluminum may also be utilized. The inner layer 102 is configured toprotect the smartphone when placed in the receiver 108 of the case 100by effectively forming an exoskeleton to absorb and distribute impactsalong the inner layer 102. Since the inner layer 102 is at leastpartially deformed during insertion of the smartphone into the receiver108, materials that are elastically deformable without breaking may bedesirable.

The outer layer 104 is formed of a generally resilient material such assilicone, rubber, and TPE. As used herein, the terms “rigid” and“resilient” describe material properties of the two layers relative toeach other. That is, the rigid material utilized in the inner layer 102is generally more rigid than the resilient material used in the outerlayer 104. Thus, the outer layer 104 and the inner layer 102 may bemanufactured of the general type of material, but due to manufacturingtechniques, use of additives, etc., the materials of the layers maydisplay different properties. The outer layer 104 is configured tocushion the smartphone and therefore dampen shocks and strikes that mayoccur when the smartphone is dropped or otherwise strikes a hard surfacesuch as a floor or sidewalk. Additionally, the outer layer 104 may bemanufactured of a material or coated with a layer that resists scuffing.The relative softness of the outer layer 104 prevents the smartphonefrom sliding on smooth surfaces, such as tables, automobile dashboards,etc. Resistance to sliding also helps reduce the likelihood of damage tothe smartphone, since the device is less likely to slide off a surfacewhen acted upon by an external force, such as a stray elbow or a curiouspet. Additionally, the resilient outer layer 104 helps ensure thesmartphone may be gripped more easily.

The inner rigid layer 102 or structure is generally planar and includesa number of turned or curved outer edges 110. In the depictedembodiment, the turned edges 110 are disposed along the lengths L of theinner layer 102, although the turned edges 110 may alternatively oradditionally be disposed along the width W of the inner layer 102. Theturned edges 110 may provide support for the outer layer 104 proximate alower side edge of the outer layer 104. Generally, the curvature of theturned edges 110 is configured to match the contours of the smartphonereceived in the receiver 108. The inner layer 102 may define one or moreopenings 112, recesses, apertures, or contours that leave uncoveredelements of the smartphone such as the speaker, microphone, camera,charging port, audio jack, screen, buttons, etc. In other embodiments,such as that depicted, the inner layer 102 includes a number of tabs 114integral therewith. The tabs 114 extend from the inner layer 102 andinclude a portion that is configured to be substantially aligned withone or more buttons disposed on the smartphone. The tabs 114 areconfigured so as to be elastically deformable such that a user of thedevice can actuate the associated button without having to remove theprotective case 100. Further functionality of the tabs 114 is describedin more detail below.

The inner layer 102 defines a central opening 116 that exposes asubstantial portion of the received smartphone. The central opening 116is defined by a plurality of edges 118. In the depicted embodiment, atop edge 118 a is substantially unbroken while the bottom 118 b, right118 c, and left 118 d edges are broken by the intersection of one ormore bridges 120. The bridges 120 at least partially span the centralopening 116 and may be arranged for both decorative and functionalpurposes. The bridges 120 preserve rigidity of the inner layer 102 andprovide a protective feature whereby loads generated by drops or strikesare distributed throughout the inner layer 102. The thickness of thebridges 120 also helps limit scratches to the back surface of thesmartphone. The bridges 120 may be configured, sized, and arranged so asto leave a substantial portion of the rear surface of the smartphoneexposed, so as to leave visible logos, labels, or other marks on thesmartphone, via gaps 122 between the bridges 120. The gaps 122 result ina reduced amount of inner layer material required, which reduces productweight and material costs, while the bridges 120 still provideprotection as described above. Additionally, the gaps 122 may aid indissipation of heat generated by the device.

The bridges 120 define a bridge width X and may be formed in any numberof shapes and sizes. For example, shapes such as straight bars, curvedbars, curvilinear bars, substantially circular bars, wave-shaped bars,ellipsoidal bars, or other configurations may be utilized. In thedepicted embodiment, curved bars are primarily utilized. A number ofdifferent configurations of bridges 120 that completely or partiallyspan the central opening 116 are depicted in the figures. For example,bridge 120 defined by path A-A spans the central opening 116 from afirst edge to an opposing edge thereof. The bridge 120 defined by pathB-B spans the central opening 116 from a first edge to an adjacent edgethereof. The bridge 120 defined by path C-C spans the central opening116 from a first location to a second location on a single edge of thecentral opening 116. Additionally, the bridge 120 defined by path D-Dspans the central opening 116 from an edge of the central opening 116 toa second bridge 120 disposed within the central opening 116. Otherbridge configurations are depicted further herein and still others arecontemplated.

The outer resilient layer 104 or shell includes enveloping edges 124that substantially surround or envelop the turned edges 110 of the innerlayer 102. The enveloping edges 124 also envelope at least a portion ofthe smartphone received in the receiver 108, which allows the smartphoneto be held in place within the receiver. In the depicted embodiment, theenveloping edges 124 are larger at the top and bottom edges of thesmartphone. Generally, the curvature of the enveloping edges 124 isconfigured to match the contours of the smartphone received in thereceiver 108. The outer layer 104 may define one or more openings 126,recesses, apertures, or contours that leave uncovered elements of thesmartphone such as the speaker, microphone, camera, charging port, audiojack, screen, buttons, etc. In general, these openings 126, etc., aresubstantially aligned with corresponding openings 112 in the inner layer102. Certain of these openings 126 are aligned with portions of the tabs114 described above, leaving these tabs 114 accessible for actuation bya user of the device. Further structural relationships between the tabs114 and associated openings 126 are described below.

Similar to the inner layer 102, the outer layer 104 also defines acentral window 128 that exposes a substantial portion of the receivedsmartphone. The central window 128 is defined by a plurality of edges130. In the depicted embodiment, a top edge 130 a is substantiallyunbroken while the bottom 130 b, right 130 c, and left 130 d edges arebroken by the intersection of one or more bridges 132. The bridges 132at least partially span the central window 128 and may be arranged forboth decorative and functional purposes. The bridges 132 providecushioning for the smartphone. The thickness of the bridges 132 alsohelps limit scratches to the back surface of the smartphone. The bridges132 may be configured, sized, and arranged so as to leave a substantialportion of the rear surface of the smartphone exposed, so as to leavevisible logos, labels, or other marks on the smartphone, via gaps 134between the bridges 132. The gaps 134 result in a reduced amount ofouter layer material required, which reduces product weight and materialcosts, while the bridges 132 still provide protection as describedabove. Additionally, the bridges 132 are substantially aligned with anassociated bridge formed on the inner layer 104. The gaps 122 may alsoaid in dissipation of heat generated by the device.

The width Y of the bridges 132 formed as part of the resilient outerlayer 104 may be slightly narrower or less wide than the bridges 120formed as part of the inner layer 102. Similarly, the edges 130 of thecentral window 128 may be slightly larger than those of the centralopening 116 defined by the inner layer 102. These differences in widthallow the inner layer 102 to be slightly visible beyond the outer layer104, for aesthetic and other purposes. Bridge 132 shapes such asstraight bars, curved bars, curvilinear bars, substantially circularbars, wave-shaped bars, ellipsoidal bars, or other configurations may beutilized. In the depicted embodiment, curved bars are primarilyutilized. A number of different configurations of bridges 132 thatcompletely or partially span the central opening are depicted in thefigures. For example, bridge 132 defined by path A-A spans the centralwindow 128 from a first edge to an opposing edge thereof. The bridge 132defined by path B-B spans the central window 128 from a first edge to anadjacent edge thereof. The bridge 132 defined by path C-C spans thecentral window 128 from a first location to a second location on asingle edge of the central window 128. Additionally, the bridge 132defined by path D-D spans the central window 128 from an edge of thecentral window 128 to a second bridge 132 disposed within the centralwindow 128. Other bridge configurations are depicted further herein andstill others are contemplated.

The outer layer 104 is further configured to protect the screen of thesmartphone while increasing accessibility thereto. In the depictedembodiment, the outer resilient layer 104 has different heights atdifferent portions about its perimeter. For example, the portions 136 ofthe outer layer 104 at the short outer edges of the smartphone (e.g.,the upper and lower edges) have a height H that is greater than theportions 138 of the outer layer 104 proximate the longer outer edges ofthe smartphone (e.g., the side edges), which have a height h. Theincreased height H at the upper and lower portions 136 allow thesmartphone display to be raised from a surface when placed face-downthereon. This helps prevent scratches to the display. Additionally, thereduced height h at the side portions 138 allows the screen to becompletely accessed by the user, for finger-swiping, icon selection, andother actions. Additionally, screens that extend very close to the sideedges of the smartphone may be completely visible due to the reducedheight h of the outer layer 104 at the side portions 138. In certainembodiments, the height h of the outer layer 104 is flush with thedisplay of the smartphone. The transition 140 between the highertop/bottom height H and the lower side height h may be a smoothtransition, as depicted, or a step.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial side view of the protective case 100 ofFIG. 1A. In this view, the tabs 114 of the inner layer are depicted, aswell as openings 126 of the outer layer 104 that substantially surroundsthe tabs 114. Enlarged portions of the depicted tabs 114 are alignedwith two buttons on the smartphone that control volume (one button isconfigured to increase volume, while the other button is configured todecrease volume). As can be seen, openings 126 defined by the outerlayer 104 substantially surround the tabs 114. The perimeters of theopenings 126 substantially form a plane identified by P. The enlargedportions of the tabs 114 define an axis and are pitched at an angle arelative to the plane P. The pitch may be due to difference thickness ofthe enlarged portion along the axis, or the enlarged portion may be of aconsistent thickness, but pitched. This pitch or misalignment gives theuser the tactile feel of a rocker switch, allowing the user to moreeasily identify which button is which, and actuate the buttonsappropriately. Unlike covers that cover smartphone buttons with aresilient layer, it has been discovered that a more rigid tab over asmartphone button more easily actuates that button.

FIGS. 3A-3H are various views of a protective case 300 for an electronicdevice in accordance with another embodiment of the technology. Theprotective case 300 depicted in these figures includes featuressubstantially similar to the previously-presented embodiment, withregard to materials, layer configurations, tabs, etc. Accordingly, thecomponents of this case 300 are identified by numbers similar to thoseutilized in FIGS. 1A-1H, above, but are not necessarily describedfurther. The bridges 320/332 in these figures, however, are in the formof substantially straight bars. A number of different configurations ofbridges 320 that completely or partially span the central opening 316are depicted in the figures. For example, bridge 320 defined by path A-Aspans the central opening 316 from a first edge to an opposing edgethereof. The bridge 320 defined by path C-C spans the central opening316 from a first location to a second location on a single edge of thecentral opening 316. Additionally, the bridge 320 defined by path D-Dspans the central opening 316 from an edge of the central opening to asecond bridge 320 disposed within the central opening 316.

FIGS. 4A-4H are various views of a protective case 400 for an electronicdevice in accordance with another embodiment of the technology. Theprotective case 400 depicted in these figures includes featuressubstantially similar to the previously-presented embodiments, withregard to materials, layer configurations, tabs, etc. Accordingly, thecomponents of this case 400 are identified by numbers similar to thoseutilized in FIGS. 1A-1H, above, but are not necessarily describedfurther. The bridges 420 in these figures, however, are in the form ofcurvilinear bars that have a varied width across their lengths. A numberof different configurations of bridges 420 that completely or partiallyspan the central opening 416 are depicted in the figures. For example,bridge 420 defined by path A-A spans the central opening 416 from afirst edge to an opposing edge thereof. The bridge 420 defined by pathB-B spans the central opening 416 from a first edge to an adjacent edgethereof. The bridge 420 defined by path C-C spans the central opening416 from a first location to a second location on a single edge of thecentral opening 416. Additionally, the bridge 420 defined by path D-Dspans the central opening 416 from an edge of the central opening 416 toa second bridge 420 disposed within the central opening 416.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of an iPhone 6 smartphone S disposed in aprotective case 500. As described in more detail above, the case 500includes a number of bridges 532 that span a central window 528 of thecase 500. Between the bridges 532, a number of gaps 534 are defined. Inthe depicted embodiment, the gaps 534 are configured and arranged so asleave both the Apple™ logo L and iPhone™ name N visible. This visibilitycan help preserve brand recognition in the eye of the consumer.

While there have been described herein what are to be consideredexemplary and preferred embodiments of the present technology, othermodifications of the technology will become apparent to those skilled inthe art from the teachings herein. The particular methods of manufactureand geometries disclosed herein are exemplary in nature and are not tobe considered limiting. It is therefore desired to be secured in theappended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit andscope of the technology. Accordingly, what is desired to be secured byLetters Patent is the technology as defined and differentiated in thefollowing claims, and all equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A case for an electronic device comprising: atleast one layer disposed primarily on a first side of the electronicdevice, wherein the at least one layer comprises a plurality of edgesthat extend in a direction substantially parallel to at least a second,third, fourth and fifth side of the electronic device; wherein the atleast one layer defines a central opening to expose at least a portionof the first side of the electronic device, and further comprises atleast one bridge at least partially spanning the central opening; andwherein the edges corresponding to the second and fourth sides of theelectronic device each have a first height, and the edges correspondingto the third and fifth sides of the electronic device have both a firstheight and a second height, and wherein the second height is less thanthe first height.
 2. The case of claim 1, wherein the at least onebridge defines a shape comprising at least one of a straight bar, acurved bar, a curvilinear bar, a substantially circular bar, a wave bar,and an ellipsoidal bar.
 3. The case of claim 1 further comprising atleast one resilient layer, in addition to the at least one layer, anddisposed over the at least one layer.
 4. The case of claim 1, whereinthe edges corresponding to the third and fifth sides defines a taperfrom the first height to the second height.
 5. The case of claim 1,wherein the edges corresponding to the third and fifth sides defines astep from the first height to the second height.
 6. The case of claim 1,wherein the second height less than the first height exposes at least aportion of the third and fifth sides of the electronic device.
 7. Thecase of claim 6, wherein the second height less than the first heightexposes at least a portion of a screen associated with the electronicdevice.
 8. A case for an electronic device, the case comprising: a firstpanel having a large, centrally positioned opening and four edge panelsto envelope at least a portion of an electronic device; the four edgepanels comprising different heights, wherein a first pair of edge panelscomprises a first height substantially similar to the height of theedges of an electronic device, and wherein at least a portion of asecond pair of edge panels comprises a second height less than the firstheight.
 9. The case of claim 8, wherein the second pair of edge panelsdefines a taper from the first height to the second height.
 10. The caseof claim 8, wherein the second pair of edge panels defines a step fromthe first height to the second height.
 11. The case of claim 8, whereinthe difference in height between the second height and the first heightexposes at least a portion of the corresponding edges of the electronicdevice.
 12. The case of claim 8, wherein the difference in heightbetween the second height and the first height exposes at least aportion of a screen associated with the electronic device.
 13. The caseof claim 8 further comprising at least one resilient layer disposed overat least a portion of the first panel of the case.
 14. A case for anelectronic device, the case comprising: a first panel having a large,centrally positioned opening and at least four edge panels; a first,second, third and fourth corner at each intersection of the at leastfour edge panels; at least two of the four edge panels comprising afirst height; the first, second, third and fourth corner comprising asecond height substantially equivalent to the first height; and whereinat least a portion of the other two of the four edge panels comprises athird height less than the first height and the second height.
 15. Thecase of claim 14, wherein the difference in height along the other twoof the four edge panels defines a taper.
 16. The case of claim 14,wherein the difference in height along the other two of the four edgepanels defines a step.
 17. The case of claim 14, wherein the thirdheight being less than the first and second height exposes at least aportion of the corresponding sides of the electronic device.
 18. Thecase of claim 14, wherein the third height being less than the first andsecond height exposes at least a portion of a screen associated with theelectronic device.
 19. The case of claim 14 further comprising at leastone resilient layer disposed over at least a portion of the first panelof the case.
 20. The case of claim 14 further comprising at least onebridge at least partially spanning the centrally positioned opening.